Order to drop case against New York mayor Eric Adams

The US Justice ­Department has ordered federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against Democratic New York mayor Eric Adams.

New York mayor Eric Adams at last month’s inauguration of President Donald Trump. Picture: AFP

The US Justice ­Department on Monday ordered federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against Democratic New York mayor Eric Adams.

“You are directed, as authorised by the Attorney-General, to dismiss the pending charges in United States v Adams,” said the department memo obtained by The New York Times and CNN.

The first sitting New York mayor to be criminally indicted, Mr Adams in September pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud and bribery, and rebuffed calls for his resignation.

A man once touted as a future Democratic Party star, Mr Adams recently has ramped up contact with associates of Republican President Donald Trump.

In December, he met border tsar Thomas Homan – charged with plans to deport undocumented immigrants – and some on the left suspect the mayor of seeking a presidential pardon in exchange for rapprochement with the administration.

Emil Bove, the Justice Department’s acting deputy attorney-general and a former lawyer for Mr Trump, said in the memo the investigation was conducted too close to the Democratic primaries for the upcoming New York mayoral election in November.

According to The New York Times, Mr Bove also argued that the indictment had hindered Mr Adams’s ability to co-operate with the Trump administration in its crackdown on immigration.

Mr Adams has been accused of wire fraud, soliciting illegal campaign donations and a bribery conspiracy involving Turkish citizens and at least one Turkish official.

According to the charges, Mr Adams accepted luxury international flights, hotel suites and free high-end restaurant meals including from Turkish associates in return for favours.

AFP